Kimberly Ellis was caught breaking one of the cardinal rules of the panel — talking about the case outside of the jury room, court officials said.
She and 11 other jurors had been hearing testimony about the armed robbery of a woman in Queens Village in March 2014.
Suspect Sandess Pierre, 42, was accused of pointing a gun at the victim and telling her to “drop her bag,” according to the Queens newspaper the TimesLedger.
The victim dropped her purse and cellphone, and Pierre was allegedly caught on video surveillance fleeing with the items.
A mistrial in the case was declared Sept. 30, after Ellis’ gossipy online shenanigans came to light, officials said.
Ellis, who works for JPMorgan Chase in Manhattan, was found in contempt of court for violating Queens Supreme Court Judge Ira Margulis’ orders. Those orders — standard in all criminal trials in New York — prohibit jurors from discussing the case with anyone, let alone posting about it on social media.
Sitting jurors are advised to even avoid reading media reports about the case.
Ellis was kicked off the jury and fined $1,000. But because only 11 jurors were left, with no alternates, a mistrial was declared, the Queens DA’s Office said.
Twelve jurors were required for the case by law.
It’s unclear whether Pierre will be retried.
He was found guilty last year in a separate Queens case of bail jumping and criminal trespassing, records show.
It’s perfectly ethical for lawyers to pore through jurors’ online accounts — including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn — for potential misconduct and to gather other information, the American Bar Association said last year.